Fitbit (and Fitbit Ultra)

Fitbit – I admit it, I like the name of this device. But, what is it? The Fitbit has actually been around for awhile, though it didn’t get a lot of press the first time around. Essentially, the Fitbit is a tracking device that records how much you exercise, what you eat, and even how well you sleep. All of this information is then uploaded to the Fitbit website, which provides you with information about your daily exercise and nutrition habits.

The Fitbit Ultra is Fitbit’s newest addition to the exercise device family. The Ultra comes with a few things that the original Fitbit didn’t have (including more color options). The Fitbit Ultra can be purchased from the Fitbit website for $99.95 at the time of this writing. If you’re looking for the original Fitbit, you can contact the company directly for pricing.

How Fitbit and Fitbit Ultra Work

Most people only consider activity “exercise” if they are walking on a treadmill or paying an expensive gym membership. The truth of the matter is that you exercise every day. Just by walking to work, climbing stairs, or walking up hills, you are burning calories. Fitbit aims to track all of this activity. The small plastic device attaches to the inside of your bra, shorts, or you can hang it around your neck. As you move, Fitbit will record all of the movements that you make.

Once you have recorded a day’s worth of movements, you can upload this information to the Fitbit website. The goal of this small device is to provide you with necessary exercise and nutrition information, so that you can keep track of your activity level. Eventually, you will, hopefully, be motivated enough to keep exercise on a daily basis. Fitbit Ultra can also be worn at night to help you determine how well you are sleeping (something that many iPhone apps can do as well).

What’s Different About the Ultra?

The Fitbit Ultra is just a bit different from the original version. The most important improvement is that the Ultra comes with a stopwatch. The addition of a stopwatch to a device that’s meant to track exercise movements seems like a no-brainer, but I digress. The Fitbit Ultra also comes in a number of different colors. If you are one for aesthetics, you’ll love these new options. If not, go ahead and choose basic black.

Lastly, the Ultra can be programmed to send out motivational messages. If you want, you will see things like “Work Harder!” on the small Fitbit screen. You can also program this device to say hello you (in type-form) each time you start it up. As you can probably tell, these adjustments are minor, but they are there all the same.

Worth the Price?

The Fitbit is a bit pricey at $99+, but this device may be worth the price if you really want to track your every movement. I’ll admit that the Fitbit website is more than half of the worth of this device, and the website does provide you with a lot of useful details. If you’re in the market for a device of this kind, the Fitbit Ultra is definitely worth a second look.